Since Jay Anson's 1978 bestseller there's been plenty of controversy surrounding the iconic house in Amityville, Long Island and its former owner George Lutz. Lutz claimed that the house was haunted and along with his family witnessed all sorts of strange events upon buying it for cheap in 1975. Little did they know a year prior a young man called Ronald DeFeo had shot-gunned his family to death and blamed being possessed as the reason for his actions.

Anson's book chronicled the Lutz family's stay in the house and upon release was greeted with plenty of doubt and speculation, which still continues to this day. In fact, if you go to The Official Website there's so much information there about the case, you can decide for yourself.

It didn't take long for Hollywood to come knocking due to the success of the book and soon MGM released the original version of the film in 1979 starring James Brolin and Margot Kidder. It was a moneymaking film, despite being not that good.

That brings us to 2005 and the latest horror remake to hit the screens with MGM/Dimension's re-do of The Amityville Horror.

From producer Michael Bay (who was also responsible for 2003's Texas Chainsaw Massacre re-do), this starts of in the same manner by showing the murders (and quite ruthlessly, I might add) before trying to solidify the story with a sequence sporting news clippings, photographs, and voice-overs. It works fairly well and sets up our introduction to the Lutz family (headed by Ryan Reynolds and Melissa George) as they're about to move into the house a year later with their three children and their dog.

At first they can't believe how great a deal they got on the house and even when they find out about the murders they're willing to take the chance, but soon enough strange events start to happen around the house (that include the daughter taking an "imaginary friend" who's the spirit of the little girl killed there). But it's step dad Reynolds who suffers the most and he starts to have all sorts of nightmarish visions and soon starts to get possessed by the house setting him along the same path as the murdering DeFeo.

There's plenty to like in this version of the story, but there's also a few things that just don't ring true. However, when it's all said and done this not only turns out much better than the 1979 version, but it manages to be an entertaining horror flick that's just eerie enough for you to forgive its mild stumbles.

Reynolds is surprisingly solid in a role that requires him to slowly go insane and he proves he can do more than comedy (he's best know for starring in 2001's Van Wilder and had a comedic role in last years Blade: Trinity), the direction by a debuting Andrew Douglas is steady as he sets-up a whole slew of "jump" moments, and the movie has the advantage of that creepy house.

But like I said not everything works here as there's an entirely unnecessary scene involving a babysitter (to add another "scare" scene even if the pay-off is pretty damn cool), some of the dream sequences seem only to be in the movie to add more bloodiness, and the film ends on a ridiculous note which helps make a fairly effective finale fail to fire on all-cylinders.

Better than all the movies in the Amityville series (there were seven of them before the madness stopped), give this one a look - it's not going to scare the seasoned horror fan but you're sure to have a decent time with it. (Chris Hartley, 4/17/05)

Directed By: Andrew Douglas.
Written By: Scott Kosar.

Starring: Ryan Reynolds, Melissa George, Jesse James, Jimmy Bennett.